In early February this year, Mumbai’s jazz audiences saw bassist Etienne Mbappe on stage, with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin’s band the 4th Dimension. Along with keyboardist Gary Husband and drummer Ranjit Barot, the musicians played glorious tunes of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Hailing from Cameroon, Mbappe has visited India often, first with his group Su La Take, with saxophonist Bill Evans and then with the 4th Dimension. On Sunday, he will play at The Quarter with Ranjit Barot & Slang. The line-up will also feature pianist Osam Esseldin and guitarist Marc Guillermont, besides a guest appearance by vocalist Vasundhara V. “I got into Indian music mainly through McLaughlin. I love listening to ragas and the local jazz and fusion music here,” says Mbappe.
As a child, the bassist actually began by learning the guitar. He admits, however, that a bass line was always playing in his head, and his country had some great bassists playing African music. At age 14, he shifted to Paris, where his father was to undergo treatment. That prompted him to study music seriously. Initially, Mbappe listened to a lot of pop tunes. He says, “I was too young to know who the Beatles or Rolling Stones were. But once in Paris, I got exposed to rock, western classical music and eventually jazz.”
Besides Cameroonian bassists like Jean Dikito Mandengue, Vic Edimo and Aladji Toure, Mbappe was hugely influenced by jazz-rock bassists Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius. “My music tries to incorporate various global elements,” he explains. Mbappe’s huge break came when he was offered a spot in great keyboardist Joe Zawinul's band. At one of their shows, McLaughlin saw him and they soon exchanged numbers. When McLaughlin formed the 4th Dimension, he invited Mbappe. All four members have been together for nine years. “The 4th Dimension is like a brotherhood band. McLaughlin is a great inspiration for all of us. Besides music, we just hang out together, discuss interesting subjects, have a drink and good food,” says Mbappe.
On his own, the bassist formed the group Prophets last year to release the album How Near How Far. “It draws influences from across the world though the roots are in African music and jazz. One song ‘Bandit Queen’, on Phoolan Devi, has an Indian feel,” he shares. Mbappe is excited by the progress made by his son Swaeli, who also plays the bass. He says, “Initially, I gave him the basic training, and he just took off. Today’s youngsters can also learn so much through the Internet and YouTube. I see that happening in India too, all over the world.”
Ranjit Barot & Slang featuring Etienne Mbappe will perform at The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Girgaon on Sunday March 11; see insider.in for more details